Quiz: Howstuffworks

Can You Get a Perfect Score on This Practice Police Entrance Exam?

Ariana Perez

Image: Pixabay / Free-Photos

About This Quiz

What does it take to work in law enforcement? Well, for one, it takes a lot of general knowledge—and yes, that includes math.

It might not be as exciting as the TV series Police Academy made it look, but as part of law enforcement, you would be doing a lot of great things. Anywhere from answering phone calls from a kid who's calling to ask help with homework to serious calls from people who need your help. Every day, you will face situations in which you'll have to be ready to take action. After all, you are the police, and people are relying on you for help.

If you're seriously considering joining law enforcement, get ready. There are a series of exams that will test you on everything, from math to grammar.

It can be a tough job, especially because it might require you to work long hours; sometimes, you might even have to work during the holidays. But at the end of the day, if you're able to help just one person, doesn't it make it all worth it? Plus, think about all the Dunkin' donuts you'll be able to eat while sitting in your car. Now that's a real treat.

Do you think you can get a perfect score on this practice police-entrance exam? Grab a donut, get some coffee and take this quiz to find out!

Officer Johnson is scheduled to work as a public-school drug-use prevention officer. His schedule consists of visiting three schools a week out of the 40 school weeks in a year. How many schools does Officer Johnson visit within one year?

80

100

120

140

Office Johnson visits 120 schools per year. If there are 40 weeks, and if in each week he visits three schools, then 40 x 30 = 120.

Mr. Smith was imprisoned, and his bail was set at $15,000. In order for Mr. Smith to be released, he must pay 10% of his bail in cash. How much money does Mr. Smith need to pay for his bail?

When the gunman refused to open the door, the police executed the search warrant and removed the door. What does "executed" mean in this phrase?

Signed

Presented

Carried out

Broke down

"Executed" in this phrase means "carried out." The gunman refused to cooperate, and police needed to "carry out" their duties to ensure everyone's safety.

On a snowy day, a car skidded 8 feet and 11 inches before the vehicle came to a full stop. If the report requires you to list the distance in inches only, what distance should you write down?

103

107

109

113

Simple math! 8 x 12 = 96. Don't forget that there are the additional 11 inches you need to add, for a total of 107.

You read a report about someone stealing property worth up to $1,000. What type of offense is this one?

Petit Larceny

Grand Larceny – 4th Degree

Grand Larceny – 3rd Degree

Assault – 3rd Degree

"Petit" in French is small. If someone stole property worth up to $1,000, they committed a Petit Larceny type of offense.

Ana took the elevator from the ground floor up to the 10th floor. She then goes down two floors and up eight more floors. What floor is Ana on now?

4

16

18

20

Ana was clearly trying to get a workout. If she got off the 10th floor, then went down two (to floor eight) and up eight floors again, that would place Ana on the 16th floor.

Robbers broke into an appliance store and took 21 CD players, a total loss value of $1,050. What is the average value for each CD player?

$10.50

$50

$55

$105.50

Who buys CD players anymore? If there were 21 CD players stolen and the total loss value was $1,050, then by dividing 1050/21, you get your answer for how much each CD player costs: $50.

You read a report about someone stealing property by force and causing serious injury to the owner of the property. What type of offense is this considered to be?

1st Degree Robbery

2nd Degree Robbery

3rd Degree Robbery

4th Degree Robbery

This is a serious case. If someone has used force and caused serious injury, this would be considered to be a 1st Degree Robbery.

The victim said ___ staying in the hospital one more night.

There

Their

They're

Them

They are. Therefore, the victim said "they're" staying.

On Friday, Officer James was scheduled to work from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. At 9:55 p.m., he was called to the scene of a traffic accident, where he stayed until 12:30 a.m. How much longer than his scheduled 8 hours did Officer James work?

50 minutes

55 minutes

1 hour and 5 minutes

2 hours and 30 minutes

If it was almost 10 p.m. and he worked until 12:30 a.m., that’s at least two more hours. Officer James worked 2 hours and 30 minutes past his regular shift.

Which of the following sentences is not grammatically correct?

The incident report has a few errors that need revision.

The accident happened on Fifth Street at 1:30 p.m.

You have to finish the traffic report before you leave.

All the victim give a good recount of the earlier incident.

Grammar's so important! All OF the victimS GAVE a good recount of the earlier incident.

"Their were two cars involve in the robbery that happened monday morning." Which of the following three words are misspelled?

Were, two, monday

Were, robbery, happened

Their, two, happened

Their, involve, monday

There were, involved and Monday. It's easy to miss, but it's still important to have good grammar.

In 2016, Sarah's monthly income was $48,200, and 14% of her salary was withheld for income tax. A year later, her monthly salary was $51,800, and 16% of her income was withheld for income tax. Between 2016-2017, what was Sarah's average take-home pay?

$42,482

$44,462

$48,482

$50,482

Not a bad monthly summary! Sarah's average take-home pay was $42,482.

There were seven different ___ at the crime scene.

Witness's

Witness'

Witness

Witnesses

If there were seven, they're sure to catch the criminal! There were seven witnesses.

Over 10 days, Officer Hernandez drove his patrol vehicle 1320 miles. If in one day he drove 105 miles, how many miles was he driving on average the other days?

105

115

135

325

Officer Hernandez was driving an average of 135 miles the other days. That's a lot of miles to be driving.

The two men seemed to be inebriated when giving a statement to the police officers. Which of the following means the opposite of "inebriated?"

Awake

Drunk

Dizzy

Sober

"Inebriated" means "drunk." Therefore, sober would be the best antonym.

The victim's arm was lacerated during the theft. Which of the following means the same as "lacerated?"

Broken

Cut

Collapsed

Dislocated

Lacerated means torn or deeply cut. Therefore, "cut" is the best synonym.

A police officer received a call about an accident scene that is across town from her present location. How many miles does she have to travel total if she has to travel 3 miles on Susquehanna Road, 4 miles on Route 66 and 14 miles on Interstate 95?

21

31

32

46

She has to drive quite a bit. To get to the scene, the officer will have to drive 21 miles.

In the past few months, the police department has handled thousands of calls. During that time, Officer Jane ___ twenty.

Receive

Receives

Receiving

Received

This is past tense. Therefore, in the past few months, Officer Janes "received" twenty calls.

If someone has seriously injured a person or an officer of the law, this is considered to be a Assault of 2nd degree. What class of offense is this considered to be?

"A" Misdemeanor

"D" Felony

"B" Felony

"B" Misdemeanor

Yikes. If you hurt someone, that's pretty bad. But if you injured an officer of the law, you're definitely in trouble. This is considered to be a class "D" Felony offense.

"A police officer should always be aware of his or her appearence because they are considered to be public figures." Which word is misspelled?

Figures

Aware

Considered

Appearence

It's easy to miss, but it's still wrong. "Appearance" is the correct spelling.

During ___ existence in the previous 20 years, the police dispatch center received an average of 500,000 calls.

Its

It’s

Its'

It

That's a lot of calls! During "its" existence, the dispatch center received an average of 500,000 calls.

The officers ___ working overtime earlier this morning.

Was

Is

Are

Were

It could have been "are," but "early morning" suggests this happened in the past. Therefore, officers "were" working overtime.

If someone is causing another person fear of immediate serious injury, what type of offense is this considered to be?

Assault, 1st Degree

Assault, 2nd Degree

Menacing, 3rd Degree

Disorderly Conduct

Menacing basically means threat. Therefore, this would be considered to be a Menacing, 3rd Degree offense.

"It is prohibited by the law to drive while under the influance of alcohol or drugs." Which word is misspelled?

Prohibited

Inflaunce

Alcohol

While

That law applies to everyone. You should not drive under the "influence" of alcohol or drugs.

If a person steals property by force with the help of another person, what type of offense is being committed?

Robbery, 1st Degree

Robbery, 2nd Degree

Robbery, 2nd Degree

Assault, 1st Degree

If someone stole with the help of another person, this is considered to be a robbery of 2nd degree. If someone uses force and injures a person while receiving the help of another person, this is still considered to be the same type of offense.

If you steal property worth more than $3,000, what type of offense is this considered to be?

Grand Larceny, 4th Degree

Grand Larceny, 3rd Degree

Grand Larceny, 2nd Degree

Assault, 3rd Degree

That's a lot of money. If it's more than $3,000, you're looking at a Grand Larceny, 3rd Degree type of offense.

Officers should be "vigilant" because suspects often attempt to intimidate witnesses and other in their surroundings. Which is the best synonym for "vigilant?"

Angry

Suspicious

Cautious

Cheerful

Pay attention. Be cautious.

Officer Sam has been asked to distribute 36 radios equally among six different squads in the city. How many radios does Officer Sam have to distribute to each squad?

6

12

18

36

Easy! Officer Sam will have to distribute six radios to each squad.

An officer stops a bank robbery in time; no one gets hurt, and no money gets stolen. The manager gifts him $150 dollars as appreciation. The officer accepts the money. The action is considered to be:

Improper, because the act was not deserving of a reward.

Proper, because the officer did a good job.

Improper, because the officer is not to accept a reward from a bank for the performance of his job duties.

Proper, because he saved lives and no money was stolen.

Yikes, that was an improper thing to do. Stopping the robbery falls under his responsibilities. Therefore, an officer should not accept a reward from a bank for performing his duties.

What does "IRTC" mean in law enforcement?

Internet Ray Tracing Competition

Instructional Technology Resource Center

International Road Tar Conference

Injury Road Traffic Collision

"IRTC" stands for "injury road traffic collision." It's one of the many jargon terms law enforcement uses.

Officer Smith has the task of visiting local businesses as part of a recently launched theft-prevention program. If Officer Smith visits three area businesses per week, except for his three-week vacation, how many groups has he visited in one year since launching the program?

50

100

147

169

He visits 147 local businesses. If you calculate how many weeks there are in a year, subtract his vacation and multiply, you can easily find the answer.

What's a crime that has a a maximum punishment of 12 months of incarceration, usually involving a local jail?

Misdemeanor

Felony

Infraction

None of the above

A crime that has a a maximum punishment of 12 months of incarceration, usually involving a local jail, is a misdemeanor. People convicted of misdemeanors typically receive a punishment of probation, community service and a short jail term.

When is an offense considered an aggravated assault?

When the assault involves using a deadly weapon

When someone enters a building or other locations with the purpose of committing an offence

When someone commits a "lesser" criminal act

When someone drives with a suspended license

An aggravated assault happens when the assault involves a deadly weapon. This includes when someone tries to have a sexual relation with a person under the age of consent or when someone causes bodily harm by recklessly operating a vehicle during an incident of road rage.

What is a document that compiles all, or a significant amount of, a particular jurisdiction's criminal law?

Health and Safety Code

Penal Code

Health and Safety Code

Vehicle Code

A penal code, or criminal code, is a document that compiles a particular jurisdiction's criminal law. This code has a lit of offenses recognized in the jurisdiction, penalties and some general provisions.

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